The present invention relates generally to the packaging of articles, and more particularly to packages containing a matrix of pockets for supporting stacks of fragile tapered articles against breakage.
Various configurations and arrangements for packaging large quantities of extremely fragile, tapered alike articles, such as sugar cones for ice cream, from breakage during shipping and handling are well known in the art. For instance, ice-cream cones can be nested, one over another, in even stacks with each stack separated from the others in a matrix of corrugated dividers within a carton. The wide end or base of the cone at the bottom of each stack rests on the bottom or an intermediate liner of the carton. The top cone extends above the dividers and is girded on its side by a removable panel of holes coaligned with the stacks. The panel is held in place by the carton's lid. However, these and similar package configurations have not been fully protective against chipping or breakage of the articles, even under normal handling and shipping conditions. More protective packages have been suggested and used, but for low cost articles such as ice-cream cones, their inherently higher costs are not justified. Instead, the purchaser may save and present any broken cones to the manufacturer or shipper for replacement or reimbursement. It is a time-consuming process that delays compensation, risks contamination of the purchasers facilities while storing the broken cones until they are returned, and in general is a nuisance to all concerned.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in packaging of fragile articles suitable for stacking, one over another, in which extra articles can be included to compensate the purchaser for any which may break during shipping or handling and thereby obviate any need for the purchaser to store and return broken articles for replacement or reimbursement.
Another object is to provide a new and improved package for storing and shipping a quantity of fragile tapered alike articles nested in a matrix of even stacks but for selected stacks which have one additional article to offset any loss due to article breakage during shipping and handling.
Still another object is to provide a novel and improved package for immobilizing a quantity of ice-cream cones in an array of even stacks in which at least one of said stacks includes an additional cone.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improvement in packaging of unevenly stacked tapered alike articles which is relatively inexpensive and simple to adapt to existing packages, and which will immobilize all of the articles in each stack against breakage from rough handling.
Briefly, these and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a package having crosswise dividers within a carton forming a matrix of upright pockets for nesting stacks of tapered alike articles. The articles are evenly stacked but for selected ones of the stacks which have one additional article on each. A bottom or intermediate liner of the carton supports the wide end or base of the bottom article in each stack. A keeper panel held against the top of the dividers in a single plane includes an array of holes positioned and sized to gird the sides of the top article in each stack. Each hole is sized to insure positive contact of the keeper panel around the side of each thereby allowing a number of extra articles, less than the total number of stacks in a matrix, to be added to compensate for any breakage with no tradeoff in protection against breakage.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: